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The Senators' veteran defenceman, a UFA on July 1, has been around far too long to worry about this stuff. His focus is on trying to help the club make the playoffs. The business off the ice will take care of itself in the coming weeks.

Though it would make sense for Senators GM Bryan Murray to try to get something in exchange since there haven't been any talks on a contract extension between the two sides, Gonchar doesn't have any concerns.

He shouldn't because he played 24:31 in Saturday's 4-3 OT win over the Buffalo Sabres and had two assists.

"It doesn't worry me," said Gonchar, who extended his point streak to six games Saturday. "I know we have to do well, I have to do well and everything (will) take care of itself. You can't go out there and think about it or worry about (it). That won't do any good for you or your teammates.

"That's why I don't even think about it."

The Pittsburgh Penguins showed interest in bringing Gonchar back last summer, but nobody has called lately. The Boston Bruins need help for their blueline so they'll be listed as a possible candidate. Gonchar wants to keep Ottawa in the race.

"It's going to depend on the way we play," said Gonchar. "You have to think about it logically, and I've never had a discussion with Bryan, but what I'm thinking is if we have a chance to make playoffs, (he'll stay).

"If some reason we're not, which I hope is not going to be the case, then that's another way to look at it. My focus is the game. You can't worry about what ifs, would haves or could haves. That doesn't do any good."

OFF THE GLASS

Newcomer Matt Kassian played 3:21 on eight shifts in his debut. He didn't get a chance to drop the gloves because Buffalo coach Ron Rolston didn't dress a possible dance partner. John Scott, a 6-foot-7 former teammate of Kassian's in Houston. The only Senator that dropped the gloves was Chris Neil, who fought Robin Regehr. "We got a spark from Neiler fighting Regehr. That got us going," said Kyle Turris, who scored the winner in OT ... G Ben Bishop isn't surprised the Senators have played 11 straight one-goal

games. "I think that's just the way the league is right now with everybody in a shotgun finish type thing right now," said Bishop, who made 33 saves and may get the start Sunday vs. the Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Place. "Everybody is going to the horn and everybody is going hard, so there are going to be a lot of one-goal

games, I think, for the rest of the year." Bishop moved his record to 5-4-1.

THIS N' THAT

A name to watch as a possible candidate to replace Buffalo GM Darcy Regier if owner Terry Pegula decides to pull the plug in the off-season: Montreal assistant GM Rick Dudley. Not only is he a former Sabres great, Dudley has plenty of experience as a GM from stops in Ottawa, Tampa, Florida and Atlanta. Firing coach Lindy Ruff hasn't had any real effect, the Sabres have a lot of bad contracts and Regier is viewed as the architect of this mess ... On his second shift in an Ottawa uniform, Kassian was minus-1. Buffalo D Mike Weber beat Ben Bishop from the point on the stick side at 8:52. Weber hadn't scored since Jan. 21, 2012. That's OK, Kassian got that minus back and finished even.

AT THE BUZZER

The Sabres had LW Ville Leino back for his first game from a strained hip he suffered during training camp in January. He was with Senators coach Paul MacLean in Detroit from 2008-10. "Ville's a very skilled player with the puck. He has the abilities to hang onto it and he can make plays from difficult or impossible places," said MacLean. "When he's on his game, he's someone you have to pay attention to because he can make other people with the way he can distribute the puck." Leino was so out of practice, he celebrated a goal even though teammate Tyler Ennis deflected it off the post ... An interesting sequence in the first: Buffalo's Steve Ott hit Nathan Gerbe. Then, Neil and Gerbe did a little stickwork on each other. Not a good idea for Gerbe.

OVERTIME

Regin was back, which meant LW Kaspars Daugavins was a healthy scratch. MacLean must have known this one wouldn't be decided in a shootout ... The Senators are 50-11-4 when Chris Phillips scores a goal. When he tied it up in the second, you knew Ottawa was going to put two points in the bank.

The Senators' veteran defenceman, a UFA on July 1, has been around far too long to worry about this stuff. His focus is on trying to help the club make the playoffs. The business off the ice will take care of itself in the coming weeks.

Though it would make sense for Senators GM Bryan Murray to try to get something in exchange since there haven't been any talks on a contract extension between the two sides, Gonchar doesn't have any concerns.